When Sotheby’s held their Impressionist sale last November, this blog featured their offering of seven paintings by Pissarro. This was one of them, and it has a new home–in a museum on view for all of us to see for many years to come.

The Art Gallery of South Australia in Adelaide purchased this painting for their collection, according a story in THE AUSTRALIAN, Sydney’s daily newspaper. The Art Gallery, founded in 1881, has an outstanding collection of 38,000 works of art from Australia, Europe, North America, and Asia. Adelaide is the fifth largest city in Australia and is located on the southern coast west of Sydney.

Pissarro made this glorious painting in 1886 during the time he was experimenting with pointillism. It’s a small painting, only 24 1/2 by 28 7/8 in. It is one of those that must be seen in person to get the full effect. Photographs cannot capture the delicate colors and myriad tiny brushstrokes. The apple tree is obviously the focal point. It is the largest object, just off center to the left, and it stands at a point where three different fields meet.

It’s autumn, judging by the golden trees in the background, and if you look carefully, you can see red apples on the tree. It is probably late afternoon. The full strength of the setting sun is clearly shown on the tree’s left side. Its shadow is almost long enough to reach the post some distance to the right. It’s hard to tell, but when you see it in person, the light in the sky graduates slowly from a clear blue at the top of the canvas to a light coral above the horizon.

Nothing is as good as seeing a Pissarro painting in person, especially this one. Australia, anyone?